I HAVE LIVED

IRONIC

OLD, WEAK, WRONG

PRAYER TO PAGES

On a recent trip to Dublin, Ohio, I was driving down West Dublin-Granville Road, through the Linworth area of Worthington. I noticed an old church building and a sign out front – Village Bookshop. The word “book” compelled me to stop and visit this treasure.






I soon learned that the white frame church construction was completed in 1889 and for 68 years was the home of the Linworth United Methodist Church. The congregation finally outgrew the old building and moved to Bent Tree Boulevard in Columbus.








As I walked through the entryway, I was immediately captivated by the sight of wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, and tables of books. Books of all kinds, everywhere – a book lovers dream. It's the kind of place I could spend hours (days) in just perusing the many shelves and tables for new adventures.

The shelves in the foyer contain used paperback books. Just inside the main building to the right is the cashier's counter and you are greeted by a woman named Carol with a friendly “Hello, welcome.”

I began my tour by looking from shelf to shelf to behold the vast collection of new books of every genre at discount prices. Before I knew it, I was picking up one from here and one from there until I had several to carry. While making an inquiry of a topic, Carol asked if I would like to put my selections on the side counter to be held for checkout. A small sign was placed atop my stack indicating that these had been chosen, awaiting sale. Mine was not the only stack on the counter. There were several other customers milling about the store.



As I reached the rear of the main area, I saw four comfortable looking recliner chairs with a coffee table in the middle of a reading area. A rather homey looking place to sit and read in silence. I must admit, I did check it out. After choosing a book entitled Battlefields of the Civil War, I sat down to look through the book to make sure I found the narrative inside I was looking for regarding the Battle of Chickamauga on the Tennessee/Georgia border.

Beyond the main area, there was a hallway with more bookshelves leading to yet another room and a sign indicating the stairs to the second floor where more and more books could be found. The place was like a library with an enormous collection of subjects and rare titles I've not even seen on Amazon.com.



On a shelf behind the front counter, I spied a statue of a civil war soldier. Carol told me her husband painted it many years earlier. It just seemed to fit in so well because of their large civil war book section, and they also feature many civil war military prints for sale, which adorn the walls of the old church.






My mother was an avid reader and I remember selling about 14 boxes of books after her death. Of course, I kept a few boxes of certain titles for myself. Some are still packed away, yet my four living room bookcases show my inherited love of books of many kinds. The most astounding remembrance from my youth was my distaste for history class in school. We change as we age and now I love books about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era, the Presidents of our country, but I have not lost my flair for intrigue with a good John Grisham murder mystery.

For an adventure through the pages of time, for book lovers everywhere, I recommend a trip to the Village Bookshop to find your next treasured experience in words – for reading is the stair to knowledge and knowledge is the key to the future.

LADIES BEWARE

Disrespect can take many forms.

It can be as simple as being called (a person's name) instead of (Mom) during a phone call to another – i.e., a demotion of status.

It can be as simple as stopping the usual, frequent phone calls just to just say “hi, how are you, or how was your day.”

Disrespect can be – “I don't have time for you, I'm late for supper that someone else has ready for me after work.” Just forget the many bags of food that were given, the many meals that were prepared, the meals that were paid for at the favorite restaurant, or the trips to the grocery store to make sure there was food in the house.

Disrespect can be as simple as not saying “thank you” when given a gift of great value out of love.

It can be as hurtful as a broken promise, such as “I'll always be there for you” said many times.

Finally, but not the least of which, could be the ignoring of an urgent request to “come talk” because TALK and TIME are more important to seniors, the elderly, and parent-types than anything money can buy.

It was once said, “The measure of a man can be judged by how he treats his Mother.” It will be how he treats others, especially females in his future. Beware ladies!

FAMILY

ATTITUDE

The Volunteer Fire Chief in a small town had just been buried. The last words of the service were over and his friends and family started toward their cars.

However, they stopped, because a strange, eerie sound suddenly was heard from the grave.

As the guests looked around, a colleague of the deceased said, "Don't worry...it's just the dispatcher toning him out."

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I was reading an article about respect and disrespect to seniors/elders/parents and it brought back some memories, and reminded me of the song by that name by Aretha Franklin.

The dictionary reads: Disrespect: lack of respect or courtesy; when you disrespect people, you think very little of them.

The Urban Dictionary's definition of disrespect is: the act of putting someone down, trying to make them feel low, treating someone in a horrible manner, showing a person that they mean less than nothing to you, a hurtful act that is both rude and ignorant towards another persons feelings. Making someone feel sad or low.

Respecting your mother doesn't mean that you think she is all good, but a redeeming feature is what she has done for you. Respect does not mean accepting her failings or excusing her misdeeds. It means that if your mother needs help, you should be there for her. When she speaks, you need not agree, but you must listen respectfully. You have to treat her as a mother. Failing that, your self-respect has shaky foundations. Respect for a parent is the base of self-respect.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. said, “Don't let people disrespect you. My mom says don't open the door to the devil.”

Angie Stone said, “I would never disrespect any man, woman or child. We're all the same. What goes around comes around, and karma kicks us all in the butt in at end of the day.”

Will Smith said, “Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too.”

Cathy Hughes said, “How dare he be disrespectful to an elder. I can't tell you how disappointed I am. But false pride goes before the fall, so I'm certain that God will cause him to have to answer for the unkindness.”

The article stated:

WAYS TO BE RESPECTFUL TO PARENTS:

Be loving.
Be affectionate and give them hugs and kisses (they still love it!).
Apologize if you've argued with them; remember that they have feelings, too.
Thank them for helping to make you the person you've become.
Give them gifts on their birthdays and important holidays.
Everyday, take the opportunity to tell your parents you love them.

Visit them often. Especially if you live near them. You’ll be grateful for the time you spent with them when they're gone, and you’ll regret the lost opportunity if you don’t visit them.

Talk to them regularly. Your parents can be the best friends you’ll ever have. They have rich lives and their years of stories are invaluable treasures.

Be helpful and assume responsibility.
Do extra chores when you can.
Be aware of their income and help when and where you can.

Be mindful of all that your parents do for you.
Notice how busy they are, the amount of time they dedicate to you, and the joy they express when spending time with you.
Put yourself in their shoes. If you were your mom or your dad, how would you like to be treated? How would it feel to manage the many responsibilities they have? What decisions would you make if you were in your parents’ position?

It’s easy to take your parents for granted. We forget the sacrifices and effort they’ve made for us. Respect is foundational to love, and one of the best ways to show your parents that you love them is to treat them with respect. Small habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine, and a loving and positive attitude will make them feel loved and respected, and proud to have you as their child.

BLOOMING

After four days, my flowers are blooming and colorful - one dozen red tulips and one dozen purple iris. My kitchen table is brightly decorated. I look at them often, and think of the sender with a smile.

SHOCK & AWE

There are three special and significant men in my life. One I've known for 50 years; one I've known for 30 years; and one I've known for 14 years. '50' called me today; '30' sent me flowers. I was shocked. 50/30 showed me they cared and wanted to cheer me up after I've had a rough couple weeks. Thank you's to both for making me feel a little better in my time of pain and sorrow.

MEANING OF THE TULIP

Tulips are one of the first flowers to bloom in the Spring, are associated with bringing cheer to the recipient and popular for different occasions.

One website said:

Primary Significance: If you're looking to leave butterflies in their tummies, choose tulips and watch them blush. Wildly popular throughout its history, tulips are a comfortable flower choice and one that expresses perfect love.

The is one of the world's most easily recognized and loved flowers. The meanings of tulips coupled with the immediately identifiable shape of their colorful blooms make them a comfortable flower choice. They are not too elegant, too romantic, too big, too small, or too bright; the tulip is always just right. They are like a favorite pair of jeans or your mom's fresh-baked cookies in that the meanings of tulips express genuine coziness and comfort in all of the right ways.

The meaning of tulips is generally perfect love. Like many flowers, different colors of tulips also often carry their own significance. Red tulips are most strongly associated with true love, while purple symbolizes royalty. The meaning of yellow tulips has evolved somewhat, from once representing hopeless love to now being a common expression for cheerful thoughts and sunshine. White tulips are used to claim worthiness or to send a message of forgiveness. Variegated tulips, once among the most popular varieties due to their striking color patterns, represent beautiful eyes.

Another website said:

Red Tulips

The red tulip's meaning is construed from a Turkish legend, in which the Prince Farhad fell in love with the maiden Shirin. Upon learning of his beloved's death, the prince killed himself, and the legend states that a red tulip shot up from each drop of his blood. Because of this, red tulips in particular symbolize perfect love and passion, as well as a declaration of love.



I put the special powder packet in the water and the directions say they will open within 24 hours. They are beautiful even now.

JUST ANOTHER DAY

BIG DEBT

I was reading an article listing the 10 states with the highest debt. I was surprised to learn that Ohio was among the 10.

From the lowest debt to the highest (in millions) with population:

Massachusetts 102.2M -- 6.6M
Michigan 124.4M -- 9.8M
Florida 134.9M -- 19.3M
Pennsylvania 142.5M -- 12.7M
Ohio 239.5M -- 11.5M
Illinois 271.1M -- 12.8M
New Jersey 282.3M -- 8.8M
Texas 287M -- 26M
New York 300M -- 19.5M
California 617.6M -- 38M

Massachusetts is a small state and California is a large state, but I don't understand the size of the New Jersey debt compared to its size. I wonder if the problem is management: the lowest is a Democrat, the highest is a Democrat, and Illinois is a Democrat. All the others are Republican run - maybe they should elect a Democrat to get them out of trouble. More Republican governors have high debt states. They must need a good economist on their staff to put them on the right track toward recovery.

Another article at the same website quoted former President Bill Clinton regarding “austerity measures don't work.” He said “austerity in a no-growth economy equals recession. No amount of austerity will balance the budget.”

Why can't congressmen understand that? They get paid the big bucks to know the facts and the economy. But they play too many politics and cater to too many special interests. That's why!

I am hoping that the President's State of the Union address on Tuesday can set some goals and 'tell it like it is' to those who want to obstruct his agenda at all costs. We need a good immigration law; we need a strong gun control law to prevent more mass murders; and we need to protect seniors and low income families from losing their public assistance, rights, and dignity.

Too many politicians want to take away everything we legally have a right to, or a need for; like food stamps, abortion rights which are federally legal, federal funding for assistance of various kinds to the poor. They are just WRONG and should not be reelected.

I found the best video to describe the country's debt and wanted to share it. It really explains it better than anyone else could.

PROMISE KEPT

A few years ago I made a promise. Today I kept that promise. Good promises are special and meaningful in people's lives.

After some research and a little effort, papers were signed and a gift given. It makes me feel good to give; to do things for someone. I felt it was my loving responsibility to keep my promise to the recipient.

I am satisfied that I did the right thing. I hope the recipient has the courage and love to keep the promise made to me about the same time. With a promise comes trust; with trust comes love. Sometimes with love the words "I'm sorry" are hard words to say, but necessary to healing where there is heartache. I pray for that healing, because I gave so much love.

HOW LONG IS FOREVER?

MOTHERS

Mother is another word for love.

A Mother is a special person; the person that we may remember most from our childhood. I admit I was a daddy's girl, but my Mother was special. Mother's raise their children to the best of their ability, provide care, love, understanding and more.

There is also a category of "other mother." I found the following definition: "Other-mother is a term used for women who provide care for a child (or sometimes older adult) not biologically their own, fulfilling some main social, cultural, or religious role in the youth's life."

Today is the eighth anniversary of my mother's death, so I am remembering my own mother, and the role I fulfilled as the 'other mother' in someone's life. My mother was always there for me, giving advice, guidance, being a sounding board, and loving unconditionally. I tried to emulate those qualities in my 'other mother' relationship.

I was single, working, and taking care of my mother during the last five years of her life. She was somewhat frail and in failing health, but I never gave up; I visited her every day to make sure she was safe and comfortable. She died at the age of 89 and I was at her bedside. I remembered the old saying, 'open the window so the soul can ascend to Heaven.' I opened the window at the foot of her bed and breathed in the cold February morning air, before the tears came. She was a special lady and I miss her. Sometimes, more lately, I really want to see her again. Her smiling face was always a comfort. Right now, I could use her smile and her love.

Rest in peace dear Mother, I will see you soon.

SAY IT

People should not be afraid to say they're sorry if they hurt you. If they really love you, they will. If they don't, they won't.

REPAIR HEAVEN

When a man does maintenance of all kinds for a living, it's amazing how many little items around the house that I didn't know really needed attention. I just "made do" with what I have. I have recently learned more about "little things" that keep ordinary items working better.

The main reason my friend came to town was to fix my ice maker after two years of "brokendom." I didn't need to call the Sears repairman; instead I learned that I could order the parts to fix the broken tubing from the Sears parts online website. It took only three parts and UPS swift delivery and someone who knows how. The water tube bringing water to the ice maker broke at the top near the connection going inside the back of the freezer. Now I even have cold water in my in-door water dispenser on the front of the refrigerator.

The sunlight brightly shines in through my bathroom window in the morning, and I've always wanted a venetian blind on that window. A quick trip to Home Depot and his drill, I now have a blind in my bathroom to ease the morning light.

When my nephew was here a couple years ago, he helped me put a border around the ceiling of my bathroom. I had redone the decor to an outhouse motif. However, when we got to the end of the roll of border, I was about two feet short. So for two years, I had a gap of missing border above the bathroom sink. I finally found and purchased another roll of the same border, and the gap is now filled in. What a difference it makes, to me!

My back door is a heavy sliding double door which I never realized was getting harder and harder to open and close. Mr. Maintenance pulled it open to go out onto the back porch and said it needed lubricant because the rollers in the track were clogged and slow. Out came the WD40 and the door was slightly lifted and sprayed all along the track area. The screen door behind it was the same way. Now both doors slide easier and require less strain to open and close. I just never realized it needed doing. He noticed!

The front screen door lock usually sticks according to the weather (I thought). I always kept a pair of plyers on the table next to the front door in case I could not get it open with my fingers. He noticed! WD40 to the rescue again. Now my door lock opens and closes with ease. Wonders!

I have a inside-the-wall sliding door between my kitchen and my laundry room. When the door is pulled closed, it was always slow and heavy. Again, it was noticed and WD40 in the tracks and now it closes so fast and freely that I have watch out not to catch my hand between the door and the door frame. Wonders!

While fixing supper the second day of repair work, I ran water into my kitchen sink and the water didn't go down. I turned on the garbage disposal to clear it and, since it usually makes all the water flow out quickly, I thought it would help. Instead, the water continued to fill up. After all he had already done, I gasp and he looked to see what was wrong. Mr. Maintenance to the rescue with my unexpected emergency. He plunged the disposal until all the water finally disappeared. Then we filled the disposal with ice cubes and ran it again. The ice cube cleaning was done a second time, and now I have a clean, free running disposal again. I had always heard that ice cubes do a great job of cleaning the bottom of a disposal, but only tried it once before quite some time ago. Rescued yet again!

I am collecting household items to get ready for sale at auction in two months. I am filling tote boxes (supplied by the auction house) with all my items and these totes were stacked in my kitchen. I really wanted them in the garage so I would have room for more collecting and tote-filling. So we moved a few things in the garage and he stacked all six totes in the garage along with a box of things and other sale items not going into totes. Now I can get more empty totes and continue my packing and cleaning out the clutter in my house. I can't lift heavy items, so it was nice to have the help.

I also needed four pictures hung on the wall in my living room, to add to my massive photo collection adorning my walls. Yes, now the pictures are hung and the house is looking good.

Things I needed done and many things I didn't even know needed doing are now complete and Mr. Maintenance left for his travels to see family. My doors and locks are moving freely and the water flows where it should. It's so nice to have a house that seems FIXED! Now back to my decluttering and packing project. I am grateful that Mr. Maintenance knows how to fix everything that was wrong around here. A lucky day for me!!!